By Ndahi Marama, Maiduguri

The Federal government has flagged off the distribution of gas cylinders to heads of households, including 250 Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs in the Northeast region, to serve as an alternative cooking energy solution and the ‘Decade of Gas Cooking’ Gas Outreach Programme.

The ceremony,y which took place in Maiduguri, Borno State Capital, is in continuation of similar programs taking place in southeast, South South and the Southwest geo- political zones.

The minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Imaan Suleiman in her address recounted the harrowing experiences of women while using firewoods as source of energy in their homes.

“With a mandate to move one million homes to clean cooking gas by year 2030, the federal government through partnership with various sectors has begun addressing challenges associated with environmental pollution, job opportunities and socio-economic activities of the people”. She said.

The Minister of State Petroleum Resources, Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpe and the Managing Director of Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) Retail, Stokman Huub who shed more light on the cooking gas outreach program, lamented on the effects of environmental degradation, climate change and the insurgency, which has seriously affected Livelihood in the region.

“This initiative by the Nigerian midstream and downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (PRA) in collaboration with NNPCL Retail, supported by Ministry of Petroleum Resources and that of Women Affairs is timely in addressing issues associated with Climate Change”. Ekpe said.

According to the Managing Director of NNPCL Retail, Stokman Huub, “the decade of gas cooking outreach programme was specifically designed to encourage the use of gas within the larger population against other usual sources of cooking like firewood, charcoal and stove towards tackling deforestation which remains a contributory factor to climate change.

“The intervention is not only expected to move one million homes to clean cooking gas by 2030 but create a sustainable outcome for a cleaner, safer and prosperous Borno, North East and nigeria as a whole”.

In his remarks, Governor Babagana Zulum represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Bukar Tijjani commended the federal government for the gesture, he affirmed commitment to key into the initiative, as according to him, the programme aligns with Borno State Government’s 25- year Development Plan and 10- year Strategic Framework”.